Pigskin Preview: New head coach Chris Schmidt sees long-term potential with Topsail

August 6, 2025

Colton Emswiler,

Topsail Football1 — (Photo: Colton Emswiler/WWAY)

HAMPSTEAD, N.C. (WWAY) — Topsail football has not had a winning record since 2020, but that really isn’t their fault.

The Pirates have had some fierce competition in the Mideastern Conference, now called the Carolina Coast Conference.

New this year is head coach Chris Schmidt, who was an assistant for the program the last three years.

(Photo: Colton Emswiler/WWAY)

He and his staff recognize the challenge ahead of them if they want to hit the ground running.

“This is a very tough conference in North Carolina,” Schmidt said. “Tough competition every week and so the biggest thing for us is consistency. We’ve been competitive over the last three years and we’ve made mistakes, usually against ourselves. The biggest thing we’ve been preaching with our guys is just being consistent.”

The roster has 16 seniors and nine returning starters. That includes four on offense and five on defense.

(Photo: Colton Emswiler/WWAY)

Schmidt says a lot of players can expect to get their first ever varsity action this season after rising through the JV ranks.

The players feel developing them for the future can be considered a successful season.

“We’re very coin flippy,” senior fullback and linebacker Landon Lash said. “We either have a great season or we can just kick the bucket a little bit. I think what would be best for our season would be to develop our players that still have those years to play. For them to have that experience and really understand the game of football.”

(Photo: Colton Emswiler/WWAY)

If Topsail want to have their future take place now, they will have to earn it, which is exactly what they have been working towards over the spring and summer.

“We’re working really hard,” senior defensive back and wide receiver Drew Chamblee said. “During practices, we’re giving it everything we got. In the offseason, too. I know we gave a lot. A lot of the guys got together at parks and stuff like that and got work in.”